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Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear as mighty deities, yet often in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, particularly the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.

"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."

Ball's next starring appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, showing his cognitive workflow during performance. Even in more comedic works, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings

What about after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."

Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

His determination originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

An upcoming challenge is making his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, music, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic

He additionally favors staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Image

On Instagram, fans can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he care that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you made as a young person," he muses. He likely has another decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."